·
The
Union Cabinet led by Narendra Modi approved ₹5,659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026–27
to 2030–31).
·
The
mission aligns with India’s 5F
vision (Farm → Fibre → Factory → Fashion → Foreign) to strengthen the textile value chain.
·
Focus
on developing
high-yielding, climate-resilient, pest-resistant cotton seeds and advanced farming technologies.
·
Promotion
of modern practices like High
Density Planting System (HDPS), closer spacing, and Extra Long Staple (ELS)
cotton.
·
Emphasis
on quality
improvement via
modernization of ginning and processing units and better contamination control.
·
Plan
to upgrade
cotton testing infrastructure
with standardized, accredited labs for global benchmarking.
·
Strengthening
branding under Kasturi
Cotton Bharat for
traceability and premium global positioning.
·
Digital
integration of mandis to
ensure transparent price discovery and better farmer earnings.
·
Push
for cotton
waste recycling and circular economy practices to improve sustainability.
·
Diversification
into natural
fibres like
flax, ramie, sisal, bamboo, and banana to complement cotton.
·
Implementation
by Ministries of Agriculture & Textiles with support from Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and
State Agricultural Universities.
·
Initial
rollout in 140
districts across 14 states
and 2,000
ginning/processing factories.
·
Targets:
o Cotton production: 498 lakh bales by 2031
o Productivity: 440 kg/ha → 755 kg/ha
o Beneficiaries: ~32 lakh farmers
·
Aims
to enhance self-reliance,
sustainability, and global competitiveness of India’s cotton sector.
The Union Cabinet
chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Rs.5659.22 crore for Mission
for Cotton Productivity (2026–27 to 2030–31) to address bottlenecks, declining growth,
and quality concerns in India’s cotton sector on 5 May, 2026.
The mission aligns
with the 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) of Government
of India. The Mission focuses on enhancing cotton productivity through development
of High yielding variety (HYV) seeds resistant to disease and pests, scaling up
of existing and latest crop production technologies through states governments,
Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) through large-scale
promotion and adoption of latest crop production technologies, ensures least contaminant
cotton supply to industry, and promote high-quality cotton exports with focus on
the following major aspects:
·
Development of High-yielding, climate resilient, pest-resistant
seeds, and other production/protection technologies
·
Upscaling improved cotton production technologies like
High Density Planting System (HDPS), Closer Spacing (CS), Integrated Cotton Management,
and promotion of Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton
·
Augmenting quality of cotton through capacity building
and promoting modernization of ginning and processing factories, including adoption
of best processing practices.
·
Strengthening cotton testing infrastructure across the
country with modern, standardized, and accredited facilities to ensure reliable
quality assessment and global benchmarking.
·
Robust branding and traceability initiatives under Kasturi
Cotton Bharat to position Indian cotton as a premium, sustainable, and globally
trusted product.
·
Empowering farmers through digital integration of market
yards (mandis), enabling transparent price discovery, direct market access, and
improved realization through e-platforms
·
Promotion of cotton waste recycling and circular economy
practices to enhance resource efficiency, reduce environmental footprint, and generate
additional value streams for the industry
·
Diversification of India’s fibre base by including natural
fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana and advancement of environmentally
sustainable textile production and innovations. Its strategic integration and promotion
to complement cotton and align India’s textile sector with evolving global demand
patterns.
The Mission will
be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of
Textiles, involving 10 institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
one institute of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and 10 centres
of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRPs) on Cotton operating in different
State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) of major cotton growing states. Initially, 140 districts will be focussed in 14
States through State Department of Agriculture and ICAR for upscaling the technologies
and 2000 ginning/ processing factories. Development of high-yielding climate resistant
and pest-resistant seeds, deploy modern farming technologies, farmer training, quality
improvement, traceability, and strengthening infrastructure by promoting sustainable
fibres and innovation across the cotton value chain.
The Mission envisages
to accomplish the production of 498 lakh bales (170 kg lint each) of cotton by enhancing
lint productivity from 440 kg/ha to 755 kg/ha by 2031. Approximately 32 lakh farmers
will be benefitted leading to self-reliance. Promotion of Kasturi Cotton Bharat
for traceability and certification, targeting trash reduction <2% and promotion
of natural fibres like flax, ramie, sisal, milkweed, bamboo and banana. This is
a milestone in making the country self-reliant in Cotton Sector.